More than 100 years committed to technical progress has made us the leading manufacturer in the fields of variable AC drives, servo drives, control technology and robotics.
Yaskawa at "automatica sprint"
Solutions for sustainable automation
At the premiere of the virtual automatica sprint trade fair, the focus of attention of our presentation will be on two tangible topics: the diverse field of application of industrial robots as exemplified by more than 500,000 Motoman robots installed worldwide, and solutions for consistent sustainability in automation.
Innovation needs tradition – that is why at this year’s Automatica we will be taking a look at the past: its first robot model, the Motoman L10, rolled off the assembly line in 1977. The Yaskawa Electric Corporation (Head Office: Kitakyushu/Japan) has meanwhile delivered over 500,000 Motoman industrial robots.
These models are used in a wide range of industries (e.g. metalworking, car manufacturing, wood processing, agricultural and construction machinery, packaging technology, food and beverage industry, paper processing and much more besides). In addition to application-specific robots for welding, palletizing, painting and handling, Motoman features models for laboratory and clean room applications, as well as turn-key automated welding systems. Technical innovations by Yaskawa are constantly contributing to progress in the industry. These include the new YRC1000 generation of robot controllers and the AR welding robot family, not to forget GP handling robots and the HC series of collaborative robots. These examples reflect the rapid developmental growth in Yaskawa’s home country Japan and the technological progress and customer-oriented innovations that are being implemented throughout Europe.
New Smart Series
We make the implementation of robot-based solutions even easier: the new “Smart Series” combines standard Motoman robots with the coordinated, preconfigured gripper solutions of different manufacturers, enabling genuine plug & play for many robot applications. It puts an end to the laborious search for suitable gripper elements, adapter flanges, communication cables and plugs from different manufacturers, followed by complex assembly. The Smart Series offers ready-made packages with all the necessary accessories – a simple but ingenious way to deriving robot solutions for collaborative or conventional applications. Currently, the Smart Series includes vacuum grippers and modules of technology partners OnRobot and Weiss Robotics. Further manufacturers are to follow soon.
Focus on sustainability
In addition to these innovative highlights, we will also be demonstrating efficiency and savings potential in the day-to-day operations of industrial plants and infrastructures. One example of potential that has hitherto not been fully exploited are AC Drives. The use of inverter-controlled motors has not yet gained universal acceptance, although – even by conservative estimation – they consume between 15 and 30% less energy than non-frequency-controlled drives. And with a directly regenerative matrix inverter such as the proven U1000, energy can already be fed back into the power grid, where it is then available to other consumers.
The extended use and retrofit of existing systems also contribute to the preservation of valuable resources, and Yaskawa supports this trend, e.g. with control solutions for simple connection to existing architectures. Yaskawa’s Environmental Energy Division (EED) offers large generators and inverter solutions for wind power, hybrid and all-electric marine propulsion systems, as well as turbo drives for high-speed pumps and compressors.
For some time now, sustainability has been a key strategic corporate goal for Yaskawa. The corporation has been pursuing this self-imposed goal in its ongoing construction projects in Europe. For example, the extension to the Robotics Centre at Allershausen near Munich, inaugurated in 2018, was designed as an energy-efficient building in accordance with the German KfW 55 Standard. The equipment includes power-saving LED lights and highly energy-efficient cooling of office space. The bulk of energy requirements is met by renewable sources such as biogas and an in-house photovoltaic system. The new robot factory in Kočevje/Slovenia and the proposed new headquarters in Hattersheim, Hessen, have likewise been designed to meet the latest sustainability standards.
Further information „automatica sprint“ (22 – 24 June 2021): www.automatica-munich.com
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